Generally, cooktop appliances include a cooking surface that is configured for supporting cooking utensils. A heating source supplies thermal energy to the cooking utensils supported by the cooking surface. The cooktop appliance can also include a light emitting device. The light emitting device can provide light for assisting a user, e.g., by illuminating the cooking surface, by providing a visual indicator for certain features of the appliance, and/or by enhancing aesthetic appeal.
When the light emitting device is a light emitting diode (LED), driving the LED at a high current in a high temperature environment can cause reduced life, degraded performance, and/or even premature damage to or failure of the LED. Conventionally, LEDs are driven using a static (DC) driver signal. In other words, the driver signal supplied to the LED remains constant to achieve a desired light intensity level. To reduce the likelihood of damage to or degradation of the light emitting device from overheating due to its own internal power dissipation, a driver signal providing a reduced operating current can be provided to the LED. However, the reduced operating current can result in a reduced light output from the LED making viewing more difficult.
Thus, a need exists for an improved system and method of controlling a light emitting device disposed on a cooktop appliance.